DIVISION I FOOTBALLHOT TOPICS

Geoff Bentzel and Kris Richardson

DIVISION I FOOTBALL HOT TOPICS

Overview

• COVID-19 Updates.

• NCAA Division I Football Oversight

Committee Update.

• Legislative Update.

COVID-19 UPDATES

• Summer Access.

• Preseason Practice Period.

• Regular Season.

COVID-19 UPDATES: 2020 SUMMER ACCESS AND PRESEASON MODEL

2020 SUMMER ACCESS AND PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS

• Voluntary and virtual nonphysical activities.

• Two summer access segments:

o First segment may begin 25 days before the

first preseason practice date and permits eight

hours of countable athletically related activities.

o Second segment may begin 14 days prior to the

first preseason practice date, requires two days

off and permits 20 hours per week of

countable athletically related activities.

• No changes to current preseason practice model.

• Question & Answer Document.

QUESTIONS?

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

MEMBERSHIP SURVEY

RESULTS: RECRUITING

MODEL AND FOUR-

GAME "REDSHIRT RULE"

EDUCATIONAL

RESOURCES

FOOTBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UPDATE

FOOTBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UPDATE

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THROUGH 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR

Review of Football

Recruiting Model (Impact

of NCAA Proposal No.

2016-116).

Application of the Football

5-4-4 Model (a.k.a.

"redshirt rule").

Transfer Data and Trends.Health and Safety

Initiatives and Research.

FOOTBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UPDATE

REVIEW OF RECRUITING MODEL

• A membership survey was conducted in early spring 2020 regarding the

current recruiting model and legislative changes implemented by the

adoption of Proposal No. 2016-116.

• Directors of athletics, head football coaches and compliance administrators.

o Individual Associated with a Prospective Student-Athlete (IAWP).

o 10th Assistant Coach.

o Junior Year Official Visits.

o Annual Signing Limit ("Hard Cap").

o Early Signing Date.

o Recruiting Calendar.

o Camps and Clinics.

o *Verbal Offers of Athletics Aid.

RECRUITING MODEL SURVEY

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• IAWP: Strong support for Proposal No. 2019-25 to exempt individuals who move from one four-year institution to another.

o Intent of the legislation.

o Compliance and monitoring burden.

• Annual Signing Limit – "Hard Cap": Support for modification to allow greater flexibility due to transfers.

• 10th assistant coach, early signing period, recruiting calendar changes and junior year official visits all viewed as positive changes.

• Verbal Offers of Athletics Aid: Split opinion on whether it should be regulated.

5-4-4 MODEL: FOUR-GAME "REDSHIRT RULE" SURVEY

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Membership surveyed in spring 2019 and spring 2020.

• Strong support for the legislation among the membership:

o In 2020, 84 percent of institutions responded that the general impact of the legislation has been "extremely positive" (41 percent) or "moderately positive" (43 percent).

o In 2019, an average of 10 student-athletes redshirted but participated in less than four games. In 2020, the average increased to 15.

• Defensive back, offensive line and wide receiver are the positions with the highest percentages of redshirts who participated during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

FOOTBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UPDATE

TRANSFER DATA AND TRENDS

• The Football Oversight Committee continues to review data

regarding transfers and the NCAA Transfer Portal.

• NCAA Division I Transfer Waiver Working Group Update.

o COVID-19 impact.

o NCAA Division I Council did not vote on the Transfer

Waiver Working Group recommendation pertaining to use

of a one-time transfer waiver guideline for the 2020-21

academic year.

• Instead, the Transfer Waiver Working Group is recommending

several modifications for consideration by Council to the

undergraduate transfer waiver guidelines.

• If approved, these changes will be used to process waiver

requests submitted for eligibility occurring during the 2020-21

academic year.

NEXT STEPS

DIVISION I WORKING GROUP ON TRANSFERS

• NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee

reconstituted the Transfer Waiver Working Group as

the NCAA Division I Working Group on Transfers.

• Additional membership representation was added to

the Working Group on Transfers (e.g., NCAA

Division I Committee on Academics, conference-level).

• Representation from all levels of Division I, and

representation from various governance committees.

• Development of a comprehensive proposal regarding

transfer eligibility to be voted on not later than

January 2021 and effective not later than for eligibility

to compete during the 2021-22 academic year.

FOOTBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UPDATE

HEALTH AND SAFETY INITIATIVES AND RESEARCH

• February 2020: Football Concussion

Data Task Force.

o Injury data.

o Impact of recent rules changes.

FOOTBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UPDATE

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

• Noncoaching staff members with

football-specific responsibilities.

• Recruiting, Practice and Gameday:

What activities are permissible?

• Educational document has been

developed and will be posted on

NCAA.org.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

DIVISION I LEGISLATIVE MORATORIUM

• In May 2020, Council approved a limited legislative moratorium on Council-

governance, conference-sponsored proposals for the 2020-21 legislative cycle.

• Exceptions.

o Transfer Eligibility.

o Name, Image and Likeness.

o COVID-19.

• Proposals must be essential to the operation of Division I.

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS ADOPTED IN JANUARY 2020

PROPOSAL NO. 2019-27

Old Rule

The Sunday before the initial date for the National Letter of Intent (NLI) signing period is a one-day quiet period and only one telephone call is permitted.

New Rule

An exception to the telephone call limit would apply to the one-day quiet period on the Sunday before the initial date for the NLI signing period.

NEW LEGISLATIONNCAA

PROPOSAL NO. 2019-27

Rationale.

• Specifies that institutional coaching staff

members may make unlimited telephone

calls to a prospective student-athlete

starting the Sunday before until 48 hours

after 7 a.m. on the initial signing date of

the NLI.

PROPOSAL NO. 2019-36

Old Rule

An institution may provide 56 official visits (70 for service academies) between August 1 and July 31.

New Rule

An institution may provide 56 official visits (70 for service academies) between April 1 and March 31.

NEW LEGISLATION

PROPOSAL NO. 2019-36

Rationale.

• Adjusting the window to April 1–March 31

allows institutions to manage the allotment

of official visits by aligning the limit with

one recruiting class at a time.

QUESTIONS?

Prepare and send general and electronic correspondence to prospective student-athletes.

Meet with prospective student-athletes on campus.

Review film of prospective student-athletes and student-athletes and share analysis with countable coaches.

Observe practice and game day activities on the field or sideline.

Perform administrative duties during practice (e.g., track statistics, run the clock, set up cones) and game day (e.g., chart plays).

Call unsigned prospective student-athletes.

Engage in off-campus recruiting activities.

Review film with student-athletes.

Participate in practice activities (e.g., stretch, hold blocking pads, officiate).

Provide technical or tactical instruction to student-athletes at any time.

Make or assist in tactical decisions during practice or competition (e.g., signal plays, discuss plays with countable coaches during competition).

Not Permissible

Noncoaching Staff Member Duties

Permissible

A noncoaching staff member with sport-specific responsibilities (e.g., analyst) is an individual who is not a countable coach or a coach that is exempt from the limits on countable coaches (e.g., graduate assistant coach, student assistant coach or strength coach) and is hired to perform football-specific duties.

Division I Football

Noncoaching Staff Members with Sport-Specific Responsibilities

Division I Football

Noncoaching Staff Members with Sport-Specific Responsibilities

PracticeRecruiting Game Day

NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Summer 2020.

None of these activities are permissible for noncoaching staff members with football-specific responsibilities.

Is the noncoaching staff member participating (e.g., signaling plays, officiating, holding blocking pads during drills) in practice activities?

Is the noncoaching staff member engaged in any coaching activities with the student-athletes?

Is the noncoaching staff member directing or instructing student-athletes in any way?

Is the noncoaching staff member engaged in off-campus recruiting?

Is the noncoaching staff member providing feedback to prospective student-athletes?

Is the noncoaching staff member commenting publicly on prospective student-athletes?

Is the noncoaching staff member providing information, instruction or feedback to student-athletes?

Is the noncoaching staff member providing information or feedback to the coaching staff to assist with decision-making?